BUFFALO, N.Y.— The Buffalo State women's basketball team outscored Bryant & Stratton-Buffalo by a 37-20 margin in the second half, turning a halftime deficit into a 79-65 victory in the opening game of the Betty Abgott Invitational Thursday evening.
 
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 79, Bryant & Stratton Buffalo – 65 (Betty Abgott Invitational)
LOCATION:  Buffalo State Sports Arena – Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS:  Buffalo State (3-1), Bryant & Stratton Buffalo (4-1)
 
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Katie Villarini (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) set a new career-high for the second game in a row, scoring 33 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. She added nine rebounds and six assists.
• Tashawni Cornfield (Gowanda, NY/Putham) added 24 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, making five 3-pointers.
• Heaven Rollek (Springville, NY/Springville-Griffith) added seven points and three rebounds off the bench.
• The Bengals shot 39.2 percent (29-of-74) from the field and went 13-of-17 from the charity stripe.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bengals fell down 7-2 in the first quarter, but Cornfield scored 10 consecutive points to take a 12-10 lead at the 5:56 mark.
• It was Villarini's turn to spark a Bengal run, as she scored 10 straight points, eight at the line, giving the Bengals an eight-point lead.
• The Bengals closed out the opening quarter with an 8-1 run to lead by 13 (31-18) after one.
• The Bobcats fought back in the second quarter, shooting a team-best 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from the field, outscoring the Bengals by a 27-11 margin.
• Kat Kanhoye's eight consecutive points sparked a 21-7 run, as her 3-pointer gave the Bobcats a 41-40 lead late in the half.
• After Grace Carey (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) scored with 1:08 to go, Alissa Johnson and Kanhoye made jumpers as the Bobcats held a 45-42 lead into halftime.
• Bryant & Stratton opened the half with a jumper by Nia Caver, but the Bengals responded with a 10-0 run to flip the lead in their favor.
• Up two (58-56) at the 4:03 mark in the third, Cornfield's trey and Rollek's fast-break basket from a full-court Cornfield pass pushed the Bengals in front, as they eventually led by nine (65-56) after a buzzer-beating floater in the lane by Villarini.
• Up 69-60 heading into the fourth, The Bengal 'D' locked down on Bryant & Stratton, as they held the Bobcats to five points and 2-of-11 shooting in the period, holding on to a 14-point victory.

 
FOR THE FOES

• Kanhoye led the Bobcats with 27 points, three assists, six rebounds, and two blocked shots
• Oumy Gueye recorded an 11-point, 18-assist double-double.
• Nia Caver also tallied a double-double, recording 12 points and 10 rebounds.

 
UP NEXT
The Bengals finish the busy week and the Betty Abgott Invitational with a matchup against Division II D'Youville on Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m.